Heal Thy Self with Helichrysum!
The essential oil distilled from the small yellow flowers of the Helichrysum plant is quickly becoming one of the most popular essential oils used in aroma-medicine (perhaps the more appropriate term than ‘aromatherapy’ for the growing medicinal use of volatile plant extracts in the United States). Other monikers for this important oil include Everlasting and Immortelle — they all refer specifically to Helichrysum italicum — one of more than 500 known Helichrysum species. What’s making this oil so popular? It’s not due to its somewhat medicinal aroma — Rose or Jasmine it is not (though many people do love the scent). It has to do with its fantastic healing potential. Helichrysum has an array of therapeutic effects, all supported by the science in its natural chemical makeup. Here’s a look at the marvel of healing found in the chemistry of Helichrysum…
Healing Muscles, Joints and Connective Tissue
Reducing pain and healing of the tissues of the body require several concurrent actions for the best results. No other oil manages to do so much all at once: Reduce inflammation, loosen stiff muscles and connective tissue, relieve pain and stimulate healing. Helichrysum italicum does it all; and while proponents of conventional medicine still claim the oil to be unproven, this doesn’t prevent one from experimenting, and reaching their own conclusions about its efficacy. The oil is considered one of the safest in aromatherapy — it is listed as ‘non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing’. The only known contraindication for the oil is refraining from use if one is using wafarin or similar blood thinners, as Helichrysum has anti-coagulant properties. Now here’s a review of what the aroma-scientists know about this exceptional essential oil.
Cooling Inflammation
Helichrysum has the properties of being anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and regenerative all in the same oil. The anti-inflammatory effects can be attributed to the curcumenes present in the oil. Curcumenes have recently been very prominent in the field of natural nutrition, as the extract of the spice Tumeric, called ‘curcumin’ has become popular as an anti-inflammatory supplement. The supplement is considered helpful not only for joint inflammation and pain, but as an all-around anti-aging supplement as well. Many Helichrysum italicum species contain a significant quantity of ‘gamma’ curcumene, providing an excellent anti-inflammatory effect.
Anti-Spasmodic & Muscular Tension Relief
The first place where the ’serotinum’ sub species shines is in the area of relieving tight muscles. Much back and neck pain, for example, is the result of the muscles being chronically cramped. Helicrysum contains a natural chemical called ‘neryl acetate’ which acts to relax these cramped muscles. Helichryum italicum essential oils contain in the range of 5% to 50% neryl acetate. This natural chemical is from a group of compounds called Esters, found in a great many relaxing essential oils — most notably that of Lavender, the most widely-studied and highly revered ‘relaxing’ essential oil.
The ’serotinum’ sub-species is nearly all grown on the island of Corsica (the island is well-known for its bounty of many high quality, therapeutic essential oils). The Corsican variety has the highest neryl acetate levels of all, in the range of 25-50%. Some aromatherapists believe this makes this Helichrysum type the most valuable for its more esoteric applications, that of relieving deep emotional wounds. And this may have a solid foundation, in that many therapies, such as yoga and massage, acknowledge that emotional trauma is often ‘held’ in the physical body. Releasing muscle and connective tissue tension (which can happen even on the smallest, cellular levels) is crucial to the healing process, as it allows the movement of damaged material OUT, and new healthy material IN.
Regeneration
The third unique aspect of the essential oil is due to the regenerative nature of the ‘di-ketones’ found almost exclusively in Helichrysum. The di-ketones are thought to signal tissues of the body to regenerate, and Helichrysum italicum is included in many formulas for wound healing and scar reduction. The di-ketone level is especially high again in the serotinum sub species grown on the island of Corsica. Levels of these di-ketones can exceed 11% of the total makeup of the essential oil.
Anti-Coagulant and Bruise Prevention
A wonderful effect for all us accident prone folks is the bruise prevention offered by Helichrysum. Keeping a little of the oil on hand at all times is a smart way to keep ourselves injury-free. An application or two of the oil on any part of the body experiencing physical trauma can profoundly speed healing by preventing the formation of a hematoma, a bruised area where blood flow almost comes to a halt. For athletes twisting an ankle, for example, the oil can significantly reduce the swelling that occurs in the minutes after the injury, speeding healing by quickening the nutrient/waste exchange in the area. ANY blunt injury (walking into furniture in the middle of the night, or hitting your head on an open kitchen cabinet are but two common examples) will greatly benefit both in terms of healing time AND immediate pain reduction. (An important safety note: it is due to this anti-coagulant action that folks taking blood-thinning medication should check with their physician before use. It is likely that small topical applications of the oil should not pose a problem).
Personal Experiences and Anecdotal Reports
The use of Helichrysum essential oil on the world stage of medicine has been very brief. While use in aromatherapy has been significant, the cross over into the greater world of natural health is only just happening. As a result, formal testing of its efficacy is limited. However, because the oil is so safe, its really worth a try to see if it works for you. The critics of natural health say over and over that so many plant medicines are ‘unproven’ — we counter that so many ‘proven’ medicines are actually dangerous, lack truly unbiased scientific backing, and don’t actually result in healing, but rather a temporary cessation of symptoms. A fairly small amount of Helichrysum essential oil will either give you the results you’re looking for or it won’t. MANY users HAVE reported excellent results: profound relief from back pain, neck pain, joint pain scar tissue tightness. Extreme sports enthusiasts have called it ‘the magic oil’ for its quick pain relief. If Helichrysum sounds like it may help you, there’s every reason to give this wonderful, effective, organic natural medicine a try!


